First established in 1919, the Church Council of Greater Seattle (then known as the Seattle Federation of Churches) served as an important organization in the Pacific Northwest community, frequently aiding in local humanitarian causes. During World War II they organized various programs aimed at supporting Japanese-Americans who were subjected to various forms of discrimination including but not limited to forced evacuation from their homes and eventual internment in relocation centers along the west coast. They also played an active role running a resettlement program to assist Japanese internees leaving the internment camps in trying to find new homes and employment.